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THE RESILIENT CITY

The decade has questioned how transformations in our built environment, social behavior, and the ever-changing economy will impact our cities, and “2020” is officially the year to introspect the way we have been thriving.

Centenary city started 2020 on a high, with plans to move to site and kick start infrastructure on its Co-development project The Grove. Despite the early hitch due to COVID-19 in activities globally, The project weathered through the storm and achieved this milestone. In the peak of it all, we took all the necessary steps to provide health cover and moved to site in May, to commence infrastructural development.

In a bid not to compromise the health and safety of all within The City, we are consistently adhering to several protective measures which are strictly implemented and monitored, involving staff in frequent health and safety trainings to ensure their continuous, undiluted services within The City, and we are exploring the possibility of procuring the COVID-19 Vaccine, for both staff and partners once it is made available.

With the launch of the first co-development project, The Grove, well underway and scheduled to be complete in 2021, the City is set firm on its trajectory to be a world class city of the Future.

As we get ready to put 2020 behind us, we are translating the challenges experienced in 2020 into 2021, with decisions that will strengthen our mission, better support our staff, and improve customer experience. Notably, we need to express our profound gratitude to all our Partners who believed in us and played a huge role this year to achieve and have one of the best years since the beginning of the project.

 

THE RESILIENT CITY

 

The last few months have seen a trickle of positive news from the City. The most ‘solid’ indicator has been the consistent performance of the team, who continue to display resilience in mitigating the negative impacts and restrictions caused by nature and the novel health crisis, to ensure the timely delivery on already launched projects and many others to come.

Centenary City is taking the leap towards the future as a high-value, knowledge-based community and a new sub-centre to complement the nation’s capital and economy.

 

Interestingly, The General public was also issued tenders for companies to bid for Primary Infrastructure which received an overwhelming reception, providing a transparent and corrupt-free collaboration with the approved companies.

With many domestic and foreign investors eyeing the real estate market, we expect more positive trends like investments by global investors, revamping of business models, market consolidation which will wash out all the bad elements from the real estate sector and create more trust & transparency in the industry, thus assisting in reviving the economy and in building a sustainable city fit for all.

 

The City is not all about construction alone, we have opened the gates to the world to see the huge potentials everyone can harness, one of it is showcasing the beautiful topography within. The entertainment world also got a first-hand experience during the filming and premier of one of the latest blockbuster movies of 2020, Rattle Snake “The Ahanna Story” by Play Network Studios. This is a steppingstone as more of these collaborations and partnerships will take center stage in 2021.

We look forward to a strong and positive 2021, with plans to complete The Grove project and several other projects within the city, we plan to continue to establish a strong omnichannel presence in our markets. It will also be a year of sustainability for Centenary City and we will continue to enable and inspire more people to build a more sustainable lifestyle and community.

 

With a spread across 1,300 hectares, the City is fully ready to commence work on more mouth-watering projects which includes;

 

The Villa Royale – An exquisitely designed community with quintessential and meticulous landscapes. Having 4-10 Bedroom Villa designs will make Villa Royale the most exclusive and sort out neighbourhood in Abuja.

 

The Greens – designed to serve you with ultra-modern architectural excellence in the form of Villas, retail and dining outlets.

 

The Centenary Safari park – The first urban safari park in Nigeria, designed to bring you luxury in the wild.

           

At Centenary City, building a sustainable city exceeds excellent craftmanship, architecture or even the use of cutting-edge technology; It includes the unifying of communities into oneness to promote connection with other individuals and businesses. A community that is close-knit, safe, comfortable; bringing everything within reach and still able to offer exclusivity and privacy to every stakeholder.

Expectations for 2021 are high and we look forward to helping you reach your investment goals.

 

 

The Future Of Sustainable Cities

THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES

The subject of ‘sustainable cities’ is endlessly evolving, with people migrating to urban communities in search of comfortable living. However, as cities grow, so does their exposure and vulnerability to natural disasters, widening income gaps, worsening pollution, and aging buildings and bridges – all tell-tale signs that today’s cities are struggling to keep up with city dwellers’ growing dreams for a sustainable and prosperous future. Thus, increasing global and local commitments to make urban areas into ‘sustainable cities’ through various processes of ‘sustainable urban development’, is the way to make urbanization right.

Many corporations and investors assume that fixing cities is the purview of government, and they expect the government will act. But governments around the world are stuck—financially, politically, or both, especially in this era of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Governments cannot be relied on to single-handedly address the problems of urbanization or to conceive solutions, such as efficient electrification, sustainable inclusive spaces, smart buildings and reliable public transit, that will drive economic growth. Implementing those solutions require large amounts of capital, exceptional managerial skills, and significant alignment of interests.

The impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic are still being understood, but it does seem clear that this crisis will make a mark on cities, physically and socially, that will echo for generations.

Great changes to our urban fabric have always been a reflection of prevailing cultural and technological trends and even major crises. The cholera epidemics in the 19th century sparked the introduction of modern urban sanitation systems. Housing regulations around light and air were introduced as a measure against respiratory diseases in overcrowded slums in Europe during industrialization. The introduction of railroads had an immense impact on national urban systems, and the mass production of the car has led to cities that bleed seamlessly into sprawling suburbs, creating vast city regions. In recent years, digitalization and data have changed the way we navigate cities and how communities mobilize and advocate for change.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already significantly altered urban life. The number of people moving around has dropped to unprecedentedly low levels. Work from home is the new normal – for those who can afford it, and for whom it’s even a feasible option to begin with. The fate of millions of small businesses and workers that make urban centers work is up in the air.

Even before the pandemic response, cities had become a crucible for experimentation in relation to resilience and sustainability. During the pandemic response, cities demonstrated a similar ability to rapidly react to immediate constituent needs and make confident decisions about social distancing, especially when compared to lumbering federal bureaucracies beholden to a much wider range of stakeholders.

We have been forced to slow down, to appreciate the chirping of the birds and the importance of real human relationships. We’re learning that we can survive without overconsumption of limited resources in the name of infinite growth. We’re realizing that systems that don’t effectively support stakeholder needs can be bad for some when things are going well, but are simply broken when things don’t go so well. Things that seemed weird not so long ago, like distance learning and reducing frequency of travel for work, are no longer a crazy experiment. This experience is teaching us that we can quickly and collectively change our behaviors. It is that ability to advance rapid, large-scale adaptation that we must embrace if we are to create a new normal that enables a regenerative and resilient world for this and future generations.

As the world is changing, Centenary City is adapting to that change. We are building a road map for how the city can immediately chart a future that is more sustainable and equitable, building on the thought leadership that has been produced around envisioning the world we will have as economic activity returns, and putting forward a specific, detailed course for immediate action.

We are building a city that:

  1. Provides potential physical distancing scenarios in public spaces, Promote the recovery of citizens’ trust in urban life, using clear communication on the rules of physical distancing.
  2. Contribute to making public spaces and urban life more sustainable, resilient and inclusive (build-back-better).
  3. Responds to the challenge of strengthening the link between public space and daily community life.
  4. Are inclusive and consider vulnerable groups, energize social life, strengthen the local economy and promote transport on a human scale.
  5. Are on a human scale, that is, we consider people as the cornerstone of the city.

As the economy gradually returns to normal, we are only beginning to understand how COVID-19 will affect how we approach urban planning. Planned for properly, density is a good thing for cities, and it will be again. But will we do more to protect the most vulnerable? Will we make cities more resilient to future crises? Will we make green and blue spaces front and center of our infrastructure investments? And will we seriously address the fact that it’s not just physically, but economically, socially and environmentally that cities are connected to their surrounding regions? We will rebuild our crucial economic and social fabric. It’s our decision to build better.

Welcome to the future.

#Community Lives Matter

In a bid to secure a safe environment at Centenary City, it is imperative that we build a peaceful relationship with the various communities that the city is aligned with. With the interest of our investors in mind, Centenary City has taken certain precautionary measures to ensure every investment within the city is well protected.

Development Agreement with the FCTA

Following on the heels of the FCTA’s Land swap scheme, the FCTA and Centenary City Plc. is to design, finance, construct and develop the Centenary City by the provision of infrastructure and other developments as may be approved in the master plan.

The substance of the Development Agreement is that FCTA shall grant the developer the Rights of occupancy with respect to all that land measuring approximately 1264.78 hectares within the FCT for the development of the Centenary City by the developer in exchange for which the developer shall execute integrated infrastructure as well as grant to the FCTA through its commercial representative, the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), the agreed five percent (5%) equity/shareholding in Centenary City Plc. as an alternative to giving them a percentage of Serviced land as is the case with some other Land Swap Agreements.

Issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O)

At the completion of the delineation of the parcel of land measuring approximately 1264.78 hectares and after due documentation, the FCTA issued a Certificate of Occupancy to Centenary City Plc. with file No. MISC – 125437.

Compensation and Resettlement

In April 2013, prior to the incorporation of Centenary City Plc., the secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) had written to the honorable Minister of the FCT, requesting his assistance and guidance to make sure that all encumbrances on the Centenary City site are cleared, especially in the conduct of the enumeration for compensation, as well as planning for the resettlement of the Original Inhabitants and other private property owners on the site.

Hitherto, the SGF had been unequivocal in all his public comments that it was the Government’s position that “Centenary City promoters will not move to site until adequate compensation have been paid to the Original Inhabitants and other private property interests, and adequate arrangement made for the resettlement of the Original Inhabitants”.

In October 2013, the Minister of the FCT wrote to the SGF that the FCTA has finalized action in the conduct of the surveys for valuation for compensation, and demographic and biometric exercises with a view to planning the resettlement, and forwarded the details of compensation in respect of the crops and economic trees and the built-up properties/structures within the project site.

Out of the total compensation of N1,410,178,599.59, the amount of N175,431,523.00 was excluded from payment of compensation as this group is earmarked to be moved to a site to be agreed by the FCTA. Accordingly, the compensation required for this acquisition as detailed by the FCTA amounted to N1,234,747,076.59, which has been paid in full.

Appointment of Community Liaison Officers

In an effort to further strengthen the excellent relationship between Centenary City FZE and the indigenous communities within the Centenary City site as well as in the Centenary City Resettlement area, Centenary City FZE has hired two Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) as construction activity intensifies within the city;

Gade Emmanuel

Community Liaison Officer (Centenary City Site)

 

Gade Emmanuel, a graduate of Cooperative Management from the National Open University, has held the Chairmanship of the Youth Council of the five (5) villages within the Centenary City site for the past seven years. Due to his hard work, motivation and diligence, Centenary City Plc has maintained the most cordial relationship with our local communities. And this is expected to continue.

Dantani Abubakar Tanko

Community Liaison Officer (Centenary Resettlement Site)

 

Dantani Abubakar Tanko, a graduate of Geography and Meteorology, is a Youth Leader among the three (3) villages in the Centenary Resettlement area. His dedication and hard work has resulted in an efficient resolution of many resettlement issues and has enabled Centenary City Plc to maintain a cordial relationship with the local communities in the Resettlement site.

 

As no two communities are alike, our new CLOs will work to:

  • Serve as a point of contact with our eight local communities (villages);
  • Schedule outreach meetings with the local community to discover their issues and concerns; conduct further research and organize follow-up meetings with community leaders;
  • Connect our local communities to job opportunities and give safety presentations to community organizations and schools, work to improve problematic areas, and visit with local citizens to increase crime awareness and prevention; Promote grassroots marketing initiatives of the Centenary City development;
  • Promote grassroots marketing initiatives of the Centenary City development.
  • Work with healthcare agencies that cater to the needs of the community, and connect them with government services or community support programs;
  • Interface with the communities by representing Centenary City among pubic officials, businesses, other agencies, news outlets, and the general public to increase public awareness of our development activities; and
  • Provide support to the police and other law enforcement agencies by collecting evidence, gathering facts, and interviewing witnesses in relation to crimes.

 

At Centenary City, we are client focused. We are the city that thrives.

Welcome to the future

Centenary City Abuja

Centenary City Abuja, a smart, inter-connected urban centre that draws on the latest technologies,….

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